Spotlight on: care home interior design

17th April 2018

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When it comes to care home interior design, there’s no need for it to be bland and boring. After all, everyone deserves the right to love their environment, whoever and wherever they are. Consequently, an increasing number of care homes are beginning to realise this, and are starting to change their approach. Instead of the clinical, beige stereotypes of yesteryear, there’s now much more focus on improving outcomes by combining functionality with uplifting design.

Making the living space more homely

Thoughtfully designed care homes don’t simply encourage positive, enabling environments, they also have the power to calm and relax residents. This is particularly relevant to those who have sensory or cognitive impairments, such as autism or dementia. In these instances, well considered interior design can help reduce anxiety by providing cues to help people assimilate their environments, and can be much more relaxing.

Consequently, care home interior designers are now focusing their attentions on how to enable independence, increase mental wellbeing and reduce confusion. This is achieved through carefully planning factors like colour therapy, space planning, tactile elements, and provisions for impaired vision. As in all care situations, there is also a continual need to adhere to regulations and ensure all furniture and accessories are fit for purpose and meet the needs of all service users.

One of the most ground-breaking developments in this sector is the creation of dementia villages[1]. These are purpose built communities that forgo a medical approach and make the care environment as ‘normal’ as possible. So, while community members might be on medication and under the care of nurses, every effort is made to make sure they do not feel institutionalised. This is achieved through ‘normal’ looking interiors, as well as having access to dementia friendly restaurants, bars and shops.

It doesn’t have to take a dementia village to help make care home environments feel as true to life as possible. Many day to day care environments are embracing this revolution and are including meeting places like cafes and libraries in their settings. Not only does this have a positive impact on mental wellbeing, it makes a home from home, rather than offering a medicalised backdrop.

Empowering young people in care

Like most care facilities, children’s homes interiors have typically been driven by health and safety considerations, which has resulted in an institutional look and feel. It’s well known that these types of environments can have a significant impact on wellbeing, and even affect mental health, education, development and relationships. That’s why it’s so important to create spaces that delight and inspire, whatever the setting.

At Mood, we believe that one of the key ways to empower young people and create inspiring yet functional design is to include them in the design process. This doesn’t just mean getting out the colour chart, but also talking to them about what they like, don’t like and how things like patterns influence their mood. Other factors, such as the careful positioning of offices, meeting spaces and common rooms can have a significant impact on outcomes.

One of the key challenges in the care industry is finding interiors and textiles that brighten the mood of those around them. The truth is, just because someone is in care doesn’t mean they don’t like their surroundings to be colourful and inspired – they have as much right to love their living space as anyone else.

At Mood Interiors, we took matters into our own hands and designed a vibrant and funky range of fire-retardant and waterproof fabrics, perfect for upholstery or soft furnishings. All of our designs are also available as wallpaper.

We aim to improve the wellbeing of people in care through inspired ideas and exceptional designs. For more information on how we can help reinvent your setting, please call us on: 0121 706 5395, or email: info@moodinteriors.net.